Direction indicator switches with slidable detent member and detent release means



Nov. 24, 1970 DIRECTION INDICATOR SWITCHES WITH SLIDABLE DETENT MEMBER AND DETENT RELEASE MEANS Filed July 23, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIII "a INV NTOR M am N. WILKINSON 3,542,981

ATTORNEYS Nov. 24, 1970 N. WILKINSON DIRECTION IND 3,542,981 ICATOR SWITCHES WITH SLIDABLE DETENT MEMBER AND DETENT RELEASE MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 23, 1968 INVE NTOR n 4756214 ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. ZOO-61.3 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A direction indicator switch includes a body adapted to be nonrotatably secured to the steering column of a vehicle adjacent a striker rotatable with the steering wheel of the vehicle. A rotor is mounted on the body for angular movement from a neutral position to either of two operative positions wherein direction indicator lamps on opposite sides of the vehicle respectively are energised. The switch further includes detent means for maintaining the rotor in either of its operating positions, said detent means comprising a detent member which is slidably carried on the body and which includes part engageable with the rotor in either of the operative positions of the rotor. The detent member is urged in a direction to engage the rotor, and there is further provided a detent release member movable relative to the rotor in response to cancelling movement of the striker. The detent release member is engageable with the detent member so as to move the detent member against the action of said resilient means to allow the rotor to be returned by the striker from either of its operative positions to its neutral position.

This invention relates to direction indicator switches, for road vehicles, of the kind which are cancelled by a striker rotatable with the steering shaft of the vehicle and which comprise a body adapted to be nonrotatably secured to the steering column of the vehicle adjacent said striker, a rotor mounted on said body for angular movement from a neutral position to either of two operating positions wherein direction indicator lamps on opposite sides respectively of the vehicle are energised and detent means for maintaining the rotor in either of its operating positions.

According to the invention in a switch of the kind specified the detent means comprises a detent member slidably carried on the body and having a part which is engageable with the rotor in either of the operative positions of the rotor, the detent member being urged by resilient means in a direction to engage said part with the rotor, and the switch including a detent release member movable relative to the rotor in response to cancelling movement of the striker and engageable wlth the detent member so as to move the detent member against the action of said resilient means to allow the rotor to be returned by said striker from either of its operative positions to its neutral position.

One example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a direction indicator switch,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the direction indicator switch shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2.

- Referring to the drawings, the switch includes a body 11 moulded in synthetic resin and adapted at 11a to be secured to the fixed steering column of a road vehicle, within which the steering shaft of the vehicle is rotatable. Spaced from the body 11 by a pair of posts 12 which are spaced apart from one another is a moulded bearing block 14, the block 14 being integral with the posts 12 and being secured to the body 11 by screws 13. Journalled in the base 11 and the block '14 for rotation about an axis generally parallel with the steering shaft is a moulded synthetic resin rotor 15. Upstanding from the rotor 15 and integral therewith is a lug 16 which extends between a pair of stops 17a, 17b integral with the block 14, engagement of the lug 16 with the stops 17a, '17b limiting the angular distance through which the rotor 15 can be moved relative to the base 11. The lug 16 is formed with a transverse bore in which is secured one end of an operating lever 18.

At its end remote from the steering shaft the body 11 is formed with a channel 20 which if extended would intersect the pivotal axis of the rotor 15. Slidably mounted in the channel is a detent member 19 which is urged towards the pivotal axis of the rotor 15 by a pair of springs 20a housed in grooves in the base of the channel, and at its end remote from the pivotal axis of the rotor 15 the member 19 is formed with an upstanding peg 21. The peg 21 is generally triangular in section having its apex rounded. The rotor 15 is formed with a pair of conical projections 22, 23 which define between them a groove 24 within which the peg 21 is normally located in the neutral position of the switch.

Integral with the rotor 15 at opposite sides thereof respectively, are a pair of arcuate resilient arms 25, 26, which for the major part of their length extend generally towards the steering shaft of the vehicle and which at their free ends are turned back on themselves to define portions 25b, 26b which extend towards the rotor 15. The outer faces of the free ends of the arms 25, 26 define cam surfaces 25a, 26a in use.

The rotor 15 is movable relative to the body 11 from a rest position wherein the peg 21 of the member 19 engages the groove 24, in opposite directions into first and second operative positions respectively wherein contacts to be described later are operated to energise indicator lamps on the left and right hand sides respectively of the vehicle. The rotor is maintained in its operative positions by engagement of the lug 16 with the respective stop 17a, 17b and engagement of the peg 21 with the side of the respective projection 22 or 23 remote from the groove 24, the member 19 being moved against the action of the springs to allow the respective projection 22 or 23 to ride past the peg 21.

Positioned between the rotor 15 and the body 11 and slidable relative thereto is a moulded detent release plate 27 (FIG. 1) which at its end adjacent the peg 21 is formed with a V-shaped slot 28 corresponding with the groove 24 in the rotor 15. At its end remote from the slot 28 the plate 27 is of channel shaped cross section and is bifurcated the walls of the channel portions engaging the rotor 15 so as to render the plate 27 rotatable with the rotor 15 but slidable relative thereto. Part way along the length of the plate 27 the walls thereof are formed with integral tags 29, 30 which extend outwardly from the plate 27 parallel with the base 11.

A phosphor bronze wire spring 32 is secured by a rivet 33 to the body 11 adjacent the forward end of the plate 27. The rivet 33 engages the midpoint of the spring 32 and the limbs 34, 35 of the spring 32 extend outwardly in opposite directions from the rivet 33 to constitute the movable contacts of the switch. The rivet 33 extends through the body 11 and at its end remote from the spring 32 the rivet 33 is electrically connected to an electrical supply lead; A pair of fixed contacts 36, 37 constituted by the heads of a pair of rivets are positioned adjacent the free ends of the limbs 34, 35 of the spring 32, respectively, the rivets extending through the body 11 and being electrically connected respectively to output leads for the lefthand and right-hand direction indicator lamps of the vehicle. The plate 27 is formed at its forward end with a pair of downwardly directed posts 27a, 27b, respectively, and in the rest position of the rotor 15 the posts 27a, 27b are engaged with respective limbs 34, 35 of the spring 32 and the limbs 34, 35 are spaced from the fixed contacts 36, 37, respectively.

In order to energize the left-hand indicator lamps of the vehicle the rotor 15 is moved to its first position, the plate 27 moving angularly with the rotor 15. The angular movement of the plate 27 flexes the limb 34 of the spring 32 into engagement with contact 36 and thereby electrically interconnecting the supply lead and the left-hand output lead. The limb 35 of the spring 32 is flexed in a similar manner to engage the contact 37 when the rotor 15 is moved to its second position. Between the rivet 33 and the free ends of the limbs 34, 35 of the spring 32, the limbs 34, 35 are bent to define respective loops, the loops serving to enhance the resilience of the limbs 34, 35.

In use the body 11 is secured to the fixed steering column of the road vehicle and a striker (not shown) is secured to the steering shaft of the vehicle adjacent the body 11, the path of movement of the striker as the steering shaft rotates being indicated by the broken line 31 in FIG. 2.

When it is desired to negotiate a left turn the lever 18 is used to move the rotor counter clockwise to its first operative position wherein the indicator lamps on the left hand side of the vehicle are energised, the plate 27 being rotated with the rotor 15. When the rotor 15 is moved to its first operative position the lug 16 engages the stop 17a while the projection 23 rides past the peg 21 so that the peg 21 engages the side of the projection 23 remote from the groove 24, the springs urging the peg 21, through the member 19, towards the rotor 15 so as to maintain the rotor in its first operative position.

The movement of the rotor 15 into its first operative position moves the arm 25 to a position wherein its cam surface 25a lies in the path of movement of the striker. As the vehicle negotiates the turn the steering shaft is first rotated in a counter clockwise direction and the striker engages the inner face of the cam surface 25a. Further movement of the steering shaft now causes the arm 25 to flex outwardly to allow the striker to ride past the cam surface 25a without cancelling the switch. When the turn has been negotiated the steering shaft is rotated in a clockwise direction and the striker engages the outer face of the cam surface 25a and because the rotor is still held in its first operative position by the peg 21 the arm 25 is flexed inwardly. As the arm 25 is flexed inwardly its portion 25b engages the tag 29 of the plate 27 so that as the steering shaft is rotated further the further flexure of the arm 25 slides the plate 27 relative to the rotor 15 in a direction towards the peg 21, the plate 27 being guided by pegs 15a on the underside of the rotor 15. Since the plate 27 was rotated with rotor 15 when the rotor 15 was moved to its first operative position the slot 28 in the plate 27 is not aligned with the peg 21 and as the plate 27 slides relative to the rotor 15 the end of the plate 27 adjacent the slot 28 engages the base of the peg 21. Thus as the steering shaft is rotated in a clockwise direction the plate 27 pushes the member 19 and the peg 21 in a direction away from the steering shaft against the action of the springs so disengaging the peg 21 from the projection 23. Since the rotor 15 is not now held in its first operative position the combined action of the striker on the cam surface 25a and the natural resilience of the arm 25 moves the rotor 15 in a clockwise direction carrying the plate 27 with it. When the rotor 15 reaches a position wherein the slot 28 in the plate 27 is once again aligned with the peg 21 the springs urge the member 19 in a direction towards the steering shaft so that the peg 21 engages the side of the slot 28 in the plate 27 and the side of the groove 24 in the rotor 15 and reaction of the inclined face' of the peg 21 on the inclined sides of the groove 24 and slot 28 centralizes the rotor 15 in its rest position where it is held by the peg 21 engaging the base of the groove 24.

The action of the switch when performing a righthand turn is identical with that described for a left-hand turn and so will not be described, it being appreciated that the arm 26 and the projection 22 are involved in the operation for a right-hand turn. If the switch is held in an operative position during movement of the striker in a cancelling direction, the plate 27 is still moved in the manner described, and the switch will not be damaged. This feature of the switch is known as antijam.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A direction indicator switch, for a road vehicle, of the kind which is cancelled by a striker rotatable with the steering shaft of the vehicle, comprises,

a body adapted to be nonrotatably second to the steering column of the road vehicle adjacent said striker,

a rotor,

means mounting said rotor on said body for angular movement from a neutral position to either of two operating positions wherein direction indicator lamps on opposite sides of the vehicle respectively are energised,

a detent member,

means slidably mounting the detent member on the body,

a part on said detent member which is engageable with the rotor in either of the operative positions of the rotor to maintain the rotor in that position,

resilient means urging the detent member to slide relative to the body in a direction to engage said part of the detent member with the rotor,

a detent release member,

means mounting the detent release member for movement relative to the rotor in response to cancelling movement of the striker, the detent release member being engageable with the detent member so as to move the detent member against the action of said resilient means to allow the rotor to be returned by the striker from either of its operative positions to its neutral position, and,

means on the rotor for transmitting cancelling movement of the striker to the detent release member to move the detent release member so as to release said detent member, said means on the rotor also transmitting cancelling movement of the striker to the rotor to move the rotor through at least the initial part of the movement of the rotor from its operative position to its neutral position.

2. A switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means on the rotor includes a pair of resilient arms which are moved into the path of movement of said striker when the rotor is moved to its operative position respectively, the respective arm being flexed by the striker during cancelling movement of the striker, and serving to transmit movement of the striker to said detent means to release said detent means, and serving to transmit movement of the striker to the rotor to cause at least the initial movement of the rotor from the operative position to the neutral posiion.

3. A switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detent release member moves angularly with the rotor during movement of the rotor between said positions.

4. A switch as claimed in claim 1 including a pair of movable contacts in the form of resilient conductive members secured to the body of the switch, the members being flexed to engage respective fixed contacts on the 5 body in response to movement of the rotor from said 3,079,476 2/1963 Dyksterouse 200-61.3 neutral position to said operative positions respectively. 3,200,212 8/1965 Barcus et al 200-6134 References Cited ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 R. A. VANDERHY E, Assistant Examiner 2,525,033 10/1950 Hollins 200-6134 C1. 2,812,395 11/1957 Webb ZOO-61.34

2,902,556 9/1959 Dryer zoo-61.34 200-166 

